Lesson 18
The Test of Faith
Genesis 22
Me-
My wife and I have often said that we just cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a child. Experts say that second to the loss of a spouse, the death of a child is the second most devastating thing that can happen to a family. Fortunately, I have never experience such an event in my life.
Because we live in a fallen and broken world where so much evil is taking place, many families have seen their sons and daughters go off to war never to return. Others have seen their children gunned down in the streets. Whether a person has sacrificed his or her life for our country or a principle does not lessen the pain.
Even with the tragedies listed above, I am thankful that I live in a country where I am not required to put my family in harm’s way. I am also blessed that I still have religious freedom to worship as I please without the fear of persecution of me or my family. If that day ever comes, I pray that I will remain faithful and leave the results in God’s hands.
We-
We are beginning to see the day when we as followers of Christ are being called on to make choices about our faith that we have never seen before in our nation. No longer is the church or its members respected as it has been in times past. In many parts of the country we are being demeaned by politicians, educational institutions from grade schools through colleges and universities. Society is slowly eating away at the foundations upon which the country was built. It does not take much imagination to see the day when we will have to make choices and sacrifices that will affect the future of our families and nation.
Abraham found himself having to make a choice. Some of the decisions he made in the past were questionable and showed a lack of faith on his part. Today we will see how he handles the most difficult choice that any man is called to make.
God-
Genesis 22:1
The author starts this chapter by referring to all of the events that had occurred previously. What was done before in the life of Abraham will now stand in stark contrast to what was about to take place. None of the past decisions on his part would come close to the one he would be required to make. God was about to test his faithfulness as never before.
- What are the events to which the writer is referring?
- Why did he mention them at all?
- What does it mean when Moses said that God was about to test Abraham?
- What is the difference between a test and a temptation?
Genesis 22:2
Abraham was told what the test was to be. He was to take Isaac on a three day journey to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering. Here is seen the foreshadowing of the events in the life of Christ.
- He spent three days in the tomb after His death.
- Mount Moriah is the place where David made the offering to stop the plague, where the temple was going to be built in the heart of the city of Jerusalem. Sacrifices were continually made in that place as part of the Jewish religion.
- Jesus was offered up as the perfect sacrifice for us.
The question was to be how he would respond to the command of God? The test was greater than any he had faced before. It would cost him everything that was dear to him.
- What the test to be for Abraham?
- How was this different than anything he had experienced before?
- In what way does this foreshadow the events in Christ’s life?
- In what ways do you believe that you have been tested by God?
- What would be your response to a command from God to do something akin to the act He commanded Abraham to carry out? Of course we would not be commanded to sacrifice a child as he was, but the test would fit who we are and the circumstances of our life.
Genesis 22:3-5
Abraham put into motion all of the actions necessary to carrying out God’s command. Along with Isaac, two of the servants made the trip with Abraham. Of course neither of the other three knew the purpose for the journey. Leaving nothing to chance he took the wood for the sacrifice with him.
Arriving at Moriah, Abraham instructed the two servants to remain with the donkey. He then shared with them that he had come to that place for worship. Only Abraham and Isaac were to take part in the worship. Although he had been commanded to sacrifice Isaac, he indicated that he expected that both he and Isaac would return for the trip home.
- Why do we have no indication that Abraham ever questioned the command of God but immediately set out on the journey?
- Why did he not include the others in on the purpose for the trip?
- What was the purpose for carrying the wood for the sacrifice with him?
- Why should Abraham expect that he and Isaac would return after worshipping God?
- When your faith has been tested how did you show that you trusted God with the results?
Genesis 22:6-8
If the narrative is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ, the first picture that is given is that Isaac bore the weight of the wood upon which he would be placed in the same way that Christ carried the cross upon which he would be crucified. Abraham also took a knife and the material with which to start the fire. Then Abraham and Isaac proceeded to the place where the sacrifice would be made. Although at that point it became obvious that some kind of offering was to be made, he asked his father about the lamb that was normally sacrificed, since they had no animal with them. His answer provides another picture of Christ. He said, ”God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering.” Having had his question answered they went on together.
- What are some of the parallels in this narrative to the death of Christ?
- What are some of the thoughts that may have been going through Isaac’s mind?
- How could Abraham say that God would provide the lamb when he had been distinctly told to sacrifice Isaac?
- What did Abraham believe?
- Why did he not just say to God, “I get it, we don’t have to go any further with this event.”
- Why would that not have been enough for God?
Genesis 22:9-12
Even though Abraham may have believed that God would intervene and provide him with an alternative he prepared Isaac as the offering. He first built an altar for the sacrifice, put the wood on it and then laid Isaac on the wood. As with other offerings Abraham was about to kill his son with the knife when the angel of the Lord, the very one who would one day suffer and die for man’s sin, called out to Abraham commanding him to spare the life of Isaac.
The test was over and Abraham had passed. He had been willing to give up the one who was the most precious to him, the one in whom he lay all hope for posterity because God had called him to do so. The faith that began in chapter 12 was fully manifested in this chapter. God then said to him, “I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” God, The Father, would one day allow His only Son to die on the cross. He did not even withhold His own Son from that horrible death because of His love for mankind.
Salvation for all men who choose to follow Christ is summed up in John 3:16 where the writer said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Unlike the offering of Isaac, The death and resurrection of Christ has impacted mankind down through the ages.
- Why did Abraham continue with the preparations even thought he believed that God was going to intervene in some way?
- What did he believe that God was going to do?
- How had Abraham passed the test even though he did not complete the sacrifice?
- How does his actions compare with what God did with His own Son?
- Why is John 3:16 so important to each of us?
Genesis 22:13-14
God did provide the lamb for the offering. All Abraham had to do was look around to find the ram caught in the thicket. What Abraham had hoped for had come to fruition. The ram became the substitute sacrifice in place of his son. In the same way Christ became the substitute for every man who deserves to die because of sin.
He then named the place, “the Lord Will Provide” which in the Hebrew is YHWH- jireh. God had indeed provided what Abraham could accomplish on his own.
- Why was it necessary for there to be a substitute for Isaac?
- What did Abraham discover when he looked around?
- How does the ram symbolize Christ?
- Why did Abraham name the place, YHWH-jireh?
- What had God really provided for Abraham?
- Why does man need a substitute?
Genesis 22:15-18
When God again spoke to Abraham a second time, He once again affirmed the importance of Abraham’s faith as shown by his willingness to give up Isaac. God repeated the covenant components that Abraham had heard before. This time it would take on a new meaning. He had an heir through whom the blessings could take place. Because of his obedience:
- God would greatly bless him.
- His people would be so many that they could not be numbered.
- The land of his enemies would be given to his descendants.
- All the nations would be blessed through his seed.
- How would hearing God’s promises, repeated once again have a greater meaning for Abraham than earlier in his walk with God?
- Which of them were meant not only for him but for us today?
- How did God bring about the fulfillment of them that causes us to rejoice in reading them for ourselves?
Genesis 22:19
This verse almost seems anti-climatic after dwelling on the events that had just taken place. It seems there was no impact on the little group that had made the journey. It is interesting that the Scripture only mentions Abraham returning to the men. Isaac had almost been offered up as a burnt sacrifice, and he is not even mentioned. After Abraham came to them, they just went back to Beersheba where Abraham continued to live.
- Why do you think the writer did not give more emphasis to the return trip?
- How would you feel if you had been involved in such dramatic events and nothing was said?
- How do you think that the incident changed Abraham?
- What effect do you think this might have had on the relationship between Isaac and his Father?
Genesis 22:20-24
Abraham heard that his brother Nahor and Milcah, his wife, had some children. Some of whom would play an important part in Isaac’s and Jacob’s life. Bethuel the youngest son had a daughter named Rebekah. The inclusion of Nahor’s family was for the exclusive purpose to introduce her. Others are mentioned including some born to Nahor’s concubine, Reumah.
- Why did the writer tell us about the children of Abraham’s brother Nahor?
- Why was Rebekah specifically mentioned in the list?
- What was the purpose of including the listing of Nahor’s family?
- Who was missing from the listing found here?
You –
- How have you handled times of testing in your own life? Have you trusted God to bring you through them or placed blame on Him for not keeping you away from difficulties?
- Look to God’s word for examples like Noah, Abraham, Job, David, Paul to see how they handled their time of testing.
- Think about how much stress plays in your feeling defeated rather than victorious in the face of great crisis’s in your life.
- Look at words like refuge, fortress, hiding place that David used when he found himself in difficult circumstances. How do these terms reflect your own sense of God’s presence when you are facing difficult times.
- Decide to live in Christ’s strength to gain victory in times of testing. See 2 Cor. 12:9-10.
We –
In a way, we are living in some of the most difficult times for the church. With everything that is happening, it seems that we no longer have anywhere to turn to relieve the stress of just trying to make it in the world day after day. All around us all of the virtues on which we have stood for centuries are crumbling. There appears to be a new crisis every day. In every arena those who we thought we could trust disappoint us. Of great concern, is the trouble that families are facing that they have never experienced in the past. With all of this in mind what are we to do. The answer as we have seen in our study today is to remain faithful to God in the face of any adversity in our lives. Probably few of us have had to make the kind of decision that confronted Abraham. We are called to remain steadfast and resolute as all believers have in the past. God’s Word and prayer are still the greatest defense against situations and people who do not have our best interest at heart. In every circumstance God still loves us. Everything He allows in our lives is for our good. See Roman 8:28-29 to understand God’s thoughts about each person who belongs to Him.
Additional Notes:
BL In chapter 22, God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, who was now a young lad. Even though God had told Abraham that Isaac was the child through whom God’s promises to Abraham would come true, Abraham trusted that God would somehow preserve Isaac’s life and obediently set out for Mt. Moriah. His utter faith in God is exemplified by the words of v. 3, in which he said, “We (meaning he and Isaac) will worship and then we will come back to you.” Isaac, too, was obedient to God’s and Abraham’s command and willingly laid down for his father to bind him. At the last minute, the angel of the Lord (probably Christ) called out to Abraham and stayed his hand. God says in v. 12, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Then God provided a ram for Abraham’s offering instead of Isaac!
This action was a real turning point in Abraham’s life. It showed how Abram, who only partially obeyed God’s command to leave behind his land, his family, and his possessions in Ur, was willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING–his son, his promises, his future–because God has asked it of him. This unreserved willingness to please God demonstrated how completely Abraham trusted God–and God was very pleased with the way Abraham had responded. In vv. 15-18, He reiterated His covenant with Abraham and told him “all the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.” Just think what would have happened if Abraham HAD NOT obeyed God. There would be no blessing, no Jesus, no salvation–YIKES!) Abraham had moved from a position of reluctant obedience to complete surrender all because he had passed this ultimate test of faith. For that reason God poured out His blessings on him. In what area of your life might God be asking you and I to exhibit faith in our walk with Him this week?
RT-Up to this point Abraham had pretty much followed a path of his own choosing. Now God stopped him in his tracks and said in essence you will not do things My way if you are going to truly be called Mine. (Gen. 22)
RT-Looking at what Abraham did from a different perspective there is a question that Abraham is to be praised and honored for his willingness to offer up Isaac as a burnt sacrifice. It took that extreme measure for God to finally get his full attention. He had previously not heeded the words of God by going about his own business in his own power and ability. If God was to bless the nations through him, He had to be assured that Abraham truly trusted Him with everything he had. (Gen. 22:1-12) M-In following God’s command to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham showed to all of us the fact that our actions always need to be in complete concert with what God would have us do. Abraham knew because God was the One directing him to take that action that there must be a purpose for Him doing so. (Gen. 22:1-12)
UE-God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son. What makes this more amazing is the fact that He send him on a three day journey to a specific place to carry out the act. (Gen. 22:1-5)
UE-Abraham continued to believe that somehow his son would be spared and they would make the trip back home together. Even with this strong faith he was filling to face the possibility that God would take his son. In a way God did receive Isaac because Abraham was willing to relinquish him to God. (Gen. 22:5-8)
RT-Possibly Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice Isaac was God’s way of removing from him the last vestige of would be a practice in the pagan religions with which he would be familiar both in Ur, Haran and now in Canaan. By finally submitting the Lord God could now establish a covenant of the enduring inheritance in which his descendents through Isaac would become God’s children. (Gen. 22:1-12)
E-Abraham experienced God as no other man in the Bible did. God called upon him to make the ultimate sacrifice. He was instructed to offer his son as a burnt sacrifice. He proceeded in obedience and did exactly as God had commanded him. (Gen.22:1)
DM-God spoke many affirming words to Abraham over the years since he left Ur. Abraham would experience a great deal in his life but never heard the ones that came to him at the time he had been willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham needed to come to what might be considered the defining moment in his life when he was willing to surrender everything he held dear and sacrifice the one who was his only true hope for posterity, Isaac. At this decisive moment in his life, God spoke and said, “I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” This was the very moment that Abraham’s life from one who thought only of his self-preservation to total commitment to the fact that God was truly in charge of his life and the events surrounding him. Abraham believed that God would provide the lamb or give Isaac back to him. (Gen. 22:8, 10-12, 16-18; Heb. 11:17-19)
UE-God waited to last second to spare Isaac who was as good as dead and gave him back to Abraham. (Gen. 22:10-12)
UE-God demands complete commitment from his people even to giving up everything that is important to them in this world. They are commanded to relinquish all for the gain of the greater treasure of being His. How many of us even come close to doing what Abraham was called to do? (Gen. 22:12-13)
M -From our prospective we can see the reason for this event. It is found in the statement, “I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen. 22:12)
C-What some consider Abraham’s greatest test of faith came when God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. This one event would solidify his relationship with God. God said to him, “I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen. 22:1-12, 16)
RT-Giving up all we deem important to receive the greater treasure that comes from being that living sacrifice ready to serve Him. (Gen. 22:1-12; Rom. 12:1-2)
GC-God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience by commanded him to offer of Isaac. (Gen. 22:1-12)
GC-We are to obey God even when what He is asking to do is very difficult. It was because Abraham had trusted God in small things that his faith was strong enough to offer his son. (Gen. 22:8)
RT-It is only in laying our lives on the altar and slaying ourselves as an offering to God that we show that we truly fear Him. He expects us to withhold nothing from Him. Abraham realized that with the offering of his son that in a way he would die also since no one would be left to carry on his name as God had promised. (Gen 22:9-12)
WM-Why did it take the extreme measure by God calling on Abraham to sacrifice to finally get a total commitment from him? It sees that He had not been able to break through the shell of self-preservation so He decided to take from him the one person other than Sarah he held dear. Through Isaac, he could expect posterity. Take that one thing away from him and finally all he had left was God. That is exactly what God wants from each one of us. He wants to strip away all that hinders us from loving and trusting Him completely. (Gen. 22:12, 16)
WM-What are our Isaacs that keep us from having relationship with God that He wants from and for us. (Gen. 22:16)
GC-We must reach a point when we give everything up for God. He who does not love God more than family or self cannot be His disciple. (Gen. 22:12, 14)
GC-Abraham loved God to the point that he was willing to give up his only son if God called him to do so. (Gen. 22:12)
UE-God supplied the lamb for the sacrifice in place of man. He has indeed provided a way from death to life for mankind in His Son. (Gen. 22:13-14)
RT-Jesus was the provision on Mt. Moriah of which Abraham spoke. (Gen. 22:14)
C-Learning to obey God’s voice brought blessings not only to Abraham but all mankind through one of his descendents, Jesus Christ. (Gen. 22:15-18; Gal. 3:8-9)
UE-God will only bless when we hold nothing back from Him but give Him our all. (Gen. 22:16-18)
RT-Only when there is nothing else between us and God can we truly receive His blessings. For Abraham it was his Isaac, representing all that man could hope to have in the world. The question then becomes for us what are our Isaacs? (Gen. 22:16-17)
DM-It was only after Abraham had offered the substitute for Isaac did God speak to him and made one of the greatest promise of all that could be given to man. He would be the ancestor of the Savior of the world. (Gen. 22:16-18)
E-Following the test which Abraham has passed, the Lord appeared to him and told him what would happen through him.
- He would be blessed
- God would multiply his seed
- His seed would possess the gate of his enemies
- The nations of the earth would be blessed through his seed because of his obedience. (Gen. 22:15-19)
C-Abraham returned home with the son who was to be sacrificed and with the promise of everlasting blessings. (Gen. 22:19)